chasman414

I am having the worst luck with the Ford 460 main seal (#40032) I have built 4 motors with this seal and all of them have leaked. I just put my 455 on the road last week and I see oil under the car all over allready!!!!!!!! I'm up for anything!!

docolds456

I have used them in numerous builds, both for the street and race motors. No leaks. One question, did you have your machinist polish out the serations where the old rope seal set on the crank? These were in there to pull the oil back in from the rope seal (I think) but they will cut the viton seal out and it will leak quickly if not polished out. They don't have to be completely removed, but the do need to be smooth enough not to chew out the seal. That's about the only issue I can think of.

I do also put a small dab of silicone on the ends of the seal where the halves butt up to each other, and I offset the halves by about 1/4" with the cap and block mating lines so that they don't leak at the parting line. One last thing I do is put just a little silicone on the main cap mounting surface between the cap and the block so the oil can't get out between them.

Hope this helps. Leaks suck!!!

chasman414

Thanks DOC, I had the crank polished but maybe not enough. I did everything else just right though and it does leak!!! I will have to change this seal in the car I think because I just don't want to pull this motor AGAIN...

rptw32

Travoto outlined this in his book on building an Olds motor

You need to trim the back side of each half where there is a little
ridge that runs along the back edge ( outside bottom) of each half.

with that ridge there it puts the seal too high and thus the serations on
the olds crank make quick work to eat up the seal lip .

I have not done this yet myself but know a couple guys that have and
have bone dry bottom ends since .

Rgds

chasman414

Thanks Tom, I did that, I think it has to be the crank serations!!!

Octania

"know a couple guys that have and
have bone dry bottom ends since ."

heh

cutlassefi

Not true. If you trim that lip too much there won't be any crush on the seal.
And look closely, the serations don't land on the area where the lip seal is, only where the old rope seal was.

MX442

Just a shot in the dark here. Are you sure you're not putting it in backwards?

chasman414

Positive about that.Built the engine with the help of a professional builder and we double checked each other all the way!!

chasman414

I did trim this seal and there was very little resistance on the crank afterwords!!

chasman414

How much of a job is it to change the seal with the motor in the car?